Meet NHA's New Director Sully Sullivan

Meet NHA's New Director Sully Sullivan

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor May 30, 2026 Duration: 29:05

This week on the Hemp Show we meet Sully Sullivan. He's the new executive director at the National Hemp Association — and what a time to be taking the helm of a hemp association.

So much is up in the air right now. What about the November federal deadline that will ban most hemp-derived THC products, from gummies and beverages to most full-spectrum CBD?

Yeah, it's just sort of hanging out there, flapping in the breeze.

What's going to happen? Will there be an extension? Will there be new legislation? How will all this play out?

No one knows just yet.

Sully Sullivan is aware he has his work cut out for him as the new director of the NHA.

"I feel like we're at a precipice right now, or a crossroads perhaps, where we are, as a country, getting the regulations right," he said.

He sees what he calls "fracturedness" in the industry and the cacophony of voices in the advocacy space.

"There's a lot of voices and some are saying the same thing. Some are saying different things. Some things don't match up at all," he said.

For over a decade, Sullivan has been active in hemp policy in his home state of Arizona as a leader of the Hemp Industry Trade Association of Arizona, so he's no stranger to conflict, hard conversations and compromise.

"I feel all of my work over the last 10 years is coalescing right now," he said. "Like this is what it was all for. This all has manifested for this moment. So I take it very seriously, and it's almost spiritual in a sense. I am in the right place at the right time. I'm the person to fill these shoes and help push this industry forward."

Listen to the whole show to hear what else Sully Sullivan has to say.

Learn More

National Hemp Association

https://nationalhempassociation.org

Hemp Industry Trade Association of Arizona

https://www.hita-az.org/

News Nugget:

3 US House Republicans Attempt to Thwart Intoxicating Hemp Product Ban

https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/hemp/news/15826349/3-us-house-republicans-attempt-to-thwart-intoxicating-hemp-product-ban

Thanks to Our Sponsors

King's AgriSeeds

https://kingsagriseeds.com

IND Hemp

https://indhemp.com

Forever Green

https://hempcutter.com


There’s a quiet revolution happening in fields and factories, and it’s centered on a single, versatile plant. Industrial Hemp Podcast, guided by Eric Hurlock, the Digital Editor at Lancaster Farming, moves beyond the headlines to explore what’s actually happening on the ground. This isn’t just theoretical discussion; it’s a direct line to the people driving the industry forward. Each episode features conversations with the farmers who are planting and harvesting these crops, facing very real agronomic challenges and opportunities. You’ll also hear from researchers, processors, and policy experts who are shaping the future of hemp for fiber, grain, and other industrial applications. The dialogue digs into the practicalities-from planting techniques and harvesting equipment to market trends, regulatory hurdles, and technological innovations that are changing the game. It’s a clear-eyed look at an agricultural sector finding its footing, reported by journalists with deep roots in farming communities. For anyone curious about the business, science, and sheer hard work behind industrial hemp, this podcast serves as an essential, grounded resource. Tune in for honest talk that cuts through the hype and gets to the root of this growing field.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Industrial Hemp Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Spring Hemp Preview: Webinars, Short Courses, and Conferences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:49
This week on the Industrial Hemp Podcast, host Eric Hurlock is joined by Lancaster Farming staff reporter Dan Sullivan to talk about one Pennsylvania farmer's decision that's captured national attention. Farmer Mervin Ra…
Hemp in Pennsylvania: Commodity Crop or Shadow Cannabis Market? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:32
We're back. Season 9 of the Hemp Show is here. In this season opener of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, we'll take you inside a hearing organized by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania that was meant to expl…
Hemp in 2025: Cliff Hangers, Course Corrections and Community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:57
2025 was a year of uncertainty, contradiction and recalibration for the hemp industry. In this year-end episode of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, host Eric Hurlock looks back on a season defined by policy…
In the Hemp Studio with Farmer Steve Groff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:49
We have a special in-studio guest this week on the Industrial Hemp Show. Steve Groff, third-generation Lancaster County farmer and hemp innovator from Holtwood, Pennsylvania, stopped by the Hemp Studio at the Lancaster F…
The Sky Has Not Fallen on Industrial Hemp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:31
This week on the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, we take a close look at the biggest federal hemp policy shift since the 2018 Farm Bill and what it means for the industry. Our guests on the show are Danielle B…
CBD Farmer & Hemp Builder React to New Federal Hemp Definition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:02
Congress changed the definition of hemp this week, clarifying the original intent of the 2018 Farm Bill and closing the intoxicating-hemp loophole that enabled a nationwide market of unregulated semi-synthetic THC produc…
Code, Carbon and Hemp-Lime Construction with Jake Waddell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:49
This week on the Hemp Show, we're talking to Jake Waddell from the Hemp Building Institute about the future of hemp construction, building codes and embodied carbon. Hemp-lime construction has come a long way — from earl…
Oh, For The Love of Farming... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:41
This special edition of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast celebrates the 70th anniversary of Lancaster Farming Newspaper, which has been reporting on agriculture since 1955. Recorded at Penn State's Ag Progre…